The Adventures of Laguna, Kiros, and Ward
by Leonhart4
Summary: Laguna, Kiros, and Ward were soldiers in the Galbadian Army, but that was just the beginning...Follows their lives from their first meeting up to the end of the game.
1. New Teams

Author's Notes: I know a lot of you will probably wonder why the capital of Galbadia isn't named Deling City. Well, we'll settle that right now. You'll find out at the end of the chapter, but it's because Vinzer Deling hasn't become president yet. This first chapter is set 20 years ago, a year or two before he came into power. Oh, and as you know, I don't own anything associated with Final Fantasy VIII. So on with the story.  
  
Chapter 1 – New Teams  
  
 It was nearing the end of training camp for new Galbadian soldiers. The military base just south of Galbadia's capital, Delta City, was filled with young cadets in the dark blue uniforms, primarily. There were also soldiers in forest green uniforms who were training to be paratroopers. Finally, there were elite soldiers in crimson red uniforms and heavy armor overseeing the training camp.  
  
 Each elite soldier was assigned a set number of soldiers to train for his regiment. Probably the most frustrated commanding officer was General Lucas Wolfman. Not because of the whole squadron in general, but because of three soldiers. "Loire, Laguna! Seagill, Kiros! Zabac, Ward! Over here now!" he ordered with an irritated tone.  
  
 The three of them rushed over to him and stood at attention. None of them were wearing the helmets that went with their uniforms. The one on the far left had long, jet-black hair, sparkling green eyes, and was under six feet tall. The soldier in the middle was a black man with braided black hair. Three long strands of braided-together hair went halfway down his back. His eyes were a light shade of brown, around six and a half feet tall, and the thinnest of the three. The one of the far right towered above the other two. He was easily seven feet tall, wearing a blue bandana that matched his uniform. He was bulky, easily noticeable through his uniform, with icy blue eyes.  
  
 "Yes sir!" the three shouted simultaneously.  
  
 "What did I tell you three about wearing the full uniform?!" Wolfman demanded.  
  
 "I lost my helmet, sir!" the man on the left protested.  
  
 "Enough of your excuses, Loire! You said that last time!" Wolfman snapped. "What about you, Seagill?"  
  
 "I don't like wearing the helmet, sir. It's hard to keep my hair in there," the man in the middle said nonchalantly.  
  
 General Wolfman sighed quietly. "And what is your problem, Zabac?"  
  
 "That helmet is way too tight. The uniform is bad enough, but I can't stand the helmet. It's asking for too much," the man on the right responded.  
  
 Wolfman frowned and said, "One hundred push-ups, now!"  
  
 Laguna, Kiros, and Ward got down and did their one hundred push-ups. "What now, sir?" Laguna asked when they were done. "Report to your barracks. Training camp is nearly over. I'll announce the new team assignments at 16:00!" General Wolfman replied.  
  
 The three of them headed back toward the barracks. The general mumbled aloud after they were out of earshot. "Why am I always stuck with the problem soldiers? They don't even use conventional Galbadian weapons! Loire has a machine gun; Zabac carries a harpoon; and what did Seagill call those blades attached to his wrists? Katals, I think.  
  
 "If I had my way, I'd make sure those three were sent of to war thousands of miles away and get them killed! Wait… I can make that happen! I'll put those three together as one team! They'd never survive in a war together!" Then he chuckled at his devious plan.  
  
 On the way back, the three new Galbadian soldiers got acquainted with one another. "What was up with Wolfie?" Laguna asked.  
  
 "Isn't it obvious? We get on every one of that guy's nerves. He hates us," Ward said.  
  
 "No doubt about it. Well, we've never officially met. My name's Kiros Seagill," he introduced. "Who are you two?"  
  
 "I'm Laguna Loire."  
  
 "Ward Zabac."  
  
 "Cool, nice to meet you guys," Kiros said.  
  
 "Yeah, same here. So what are those blades on your wrists?" Laguna asked. "They're called Katal blades," Kiros said, displaying them as he spoke.  
  
 "And what are you doing with a harpoon, Ward?" Laguna then asked. Ward shrugged and said, "Big weapon for a big guy."  
  
 The three of them came upon the barracks. "Well, maybe we'll end up workin' together someday. Later guys," Laguna said.  
  
 They entered and went their separate ways for the time being. Then they were called back when General Wolfman brought his troops together. "I will announce the new team assignments now. When your name is called, get together with your other teammates and I will personally give your first mission to you," he explained.  
  
 After announcing just about all of them, he came across the names of the last group. "Finally, the last team is… Laguna Loire, Kiros Seagill, and Ward Zabac."  
  
 All the rookie soldiers got into their respective groups and awaited orders. "Whoa! We're workin' together! What a coincidence, huh?" Laguna said excitedly. "One wouldn't normally call it a coincidence. They'd normally call it a setup," Kiros said.  
  
 "What are you talking about?" Laguna asked puzzledly. "Think about it. Wolfman despises us. What better way to punish us than put us together and send us far, far away? Watch him give us an assignment that'll send us overseas or something," Kiros wisely stated.  
  
 Then they noticed General Wolfman coming in their direction. "Here we go, guys," Ward said.  
  
 Then the general began to give out orders. "You three have a very important assignment. You will be heading to Esthar's new colony, Fisherman's Horizon. President Delta is there to make a peace proposal and a trade agreement to the people there that will benefit us. However, a battle has ensued because Sorceress Adel has learned of his presence there. You will be sent there, along with many other Galbadian soldiers, to assist the president. You will board the train to Dollet, where vessels have been prepared to take you all to Fisherman's Horizon. That is all," General Wolfman informed and left them.  
  
 "What'd I tell you?" Kiros said simply.  
  
 Author's Notes: I don't know if this holds true to the game or not. I'm not sure if Fisherman's Horizon even existed yet, but since I already have it all plotted out, it'll have to do. Let me know what you thought. Please give me some honest constructive criticism. It'll only help me improve as a writer. 


	2. Departure

Author's Notes: This chapter isn't getting into all the fighting yet, but that'll be in the next chapter. This is just some stuff they do on their way to Fisherman's Horizon. Enjoy!  
  
Chapter 2 – Departure  
  
Laguna, Kiros, and Ward immediately left and went to Delta City Station to board the train that would take them to Dollet. "All aboard for Dollet! Last call! All aboard for Dollet!" the train engineer called out when they arrived.  
  
"That's us! We'd better hurry! We don't wanna get left behind!" Laguna exclaimed.  
  
They rushed over to the man and barely got there right before the engineer was about to go in and take off. "Oh, three more Galbadian soldiers headin' to Dollet, huh? You guys just made it in time. So do you have your tickets?" the engineer inquired.  
  
The three of them exchanged glances. "Tickets? Wolfie never said anything about tickets!" Laguna whispered. "You were expecting a free ride just because we're soldiers?" Kiros asked. "Uh… We don't have any tickets. Could you maybe sell us three by chance?" Ward asked.  
  
"Sure," the engineer said. They all sighed in great relief. "That'll be 3,000 gil."  
  
Then their eyes bulged after hearing that outrageous price, but still started searching through their pockets. "I've got 800," Laguna said. "I've got 1,200," Kiros said. "And I've got 1,000. We've got just enough," Ward said.  
  
They handed the engineer the money and he gave them their tickets. They all got onboard and then they left the station. All the train cars were loaded with all kinds of Galbadian soldiers of every type and every rank. "Now we're flat broke. Let's just hope we won't need to buy anything else for a while," Ward said.  
  
"I don't think we'll be too concerned with that. After all, we're just going to save President Delta from a small group of Esthar's soldiers and that'll be the end of that episode," Kiros commented.  
  
"Yeah, the sooner we get done with this the better. All those Esthar soldiers give me the creeps. They don't look human at all in those flashy uniforms," Laguna said. "Not to mention the power of Sorceress Adel," Kiros added.  
  
Then the three of them were silent for a while as they listened to all the conversing around them. They could only coherently understand the two standing next to them. "Man, I hope I make it back. I got a family waiting for me," a Galbadian soldier said.  
  
"Me too. My son really looks up to me. He wants to join the military too when he grows up," an elite soldier said proudly. "Really? Mine does, too!" the Galbadian soldier said.  
  
"What's your name, soldier? And what's your son's name?" the elite soldier demanded. "I'm Lieutenant Michael Biggs, sir! My son's name is Andrew," the soldier responded. "And what about you, sir?"  
  
"Me? I'm Major Scott Wedge, and my son's name is Shaun," the elite soldier responded.  
  
Now Laguna decided to try to make some conversation with his comrades. "So where you guys from?" he asked.  
  
"I was born and raised in Delta City," Kiros answered. "Me too! What about you, Ward?" Laguna asked.  
  
"I'm from a little town on the southern part of the continent called Winhill," he said. "Winhill? I've never heard of it," Laguna said. "Not many people have, but we don't mind. We don't care nothin' about publicity," Ward said.  
  
"Attention passengers! We have arrived at Dollet Station! I repeat… Attention passengers! We have arrived at Dollet Station!" the engineer announced.  
  
Disembarking was slow with all of the passengers, but they finally all got off. The officer in charge gathered them together briefly. "The vessels waiting to take us to Fisherman's Horizon are at Lapin Beach! We do not leave for thirty minutes! You can wander around town until then. That is all," he explained.  
  
Then they all went their separate ways. "Well, what can we do? We've got no money," Laguna said.  
  
"I guess we go to the beach and wait 'til we leave," Kiros said. Ward just shrugged. "All right then. Let's head to the beach," Laguna said.  
  
So they all headed for the white sandy Lapin Beach. When they arrived, they just sat down on the sand and stared out at the peaceful blue ocean. The waves crashed down on the shores, carrying and removing various debris from the waters. Laguna absent-mindedly twirled his fingers in the sand.  
  
Time quickly passed and soon, soldiers began flocking to the beach. Laguna, Kiros, and Ward stood up and dusted their uniforms off. They turned around, looking at all the soldiers coming their way. "Guess it's about time to go. Let's get on a boat," Ward said.  
  
Laguna was staring at a large dish at the top of one of the mountains of Dollet. "What is that thing?" he asked aloud, not really expecting an answer. Kiros gave him one anyway. "That's the Communication Tower. That dish on top of it is one of the most powerful in the world. It can send broadcasts to anywhere in the world, regardless of the surrounding conditions," Kiros explained.  
  
"Well, you certainly know your stuff, Kiros," Laguna admitted. "I guess it's because I paid attention in school. It's pretty obvious you never did," Kiros said jokingly.  
  
"Hey, that's not nice! I'm smarter than you think! I'll show you how smart I am! As they say, he who laughs first laughs worst!" Laguna said. "Uhh… Isn't it 'he who laughs last laughs best'? Anyway, let's get going, guys," Ward said.  
  
Then they all walked over and got onboard one of the boats.  
  
Author's Notes: I hope you guys are enjoying it so far. Please let me know what you think in a review along with some constructive criticism. It'll only help me improve as a writer. Matter of fact, I'd just like a review to let me know people are reading. Doesn't matter if it's just a "good job" or whatever, it's cool to know I have readers. 


	3. Are You Serious?

Author's Note: Just to warn you before you read, there's some violence and gore in this chapter. I'm thinking maybe I need to up the rating for this fic up to PG-13. You guys let me know in reviews after reading it.

**Chapter 3 – Are You Serious?**

The vessels containing a large number of Galbadian soldiers began its journey to the Esthar colony of Fisherman's Horizon. All of the soldiers were uncomfortable because they were crammed closed together in the boats. "I dunno how much longer I can stay like this! How much longer is it to Fisherman's Horizon?" Laguna complained.

"Calm down, man. It's only been ten minutes," Kiros said.

"You had to know you'd be doing these sorta things a lot when you joined, right? Speaking of which, to me you don't seem like the kinda guy who just joins the army for service to their country. Was there any other reason why you decided to become a Galbadian soldier?" Ward inquired curiously.

"Well, to tell you guys the truth, I don't really have much of a desire to fight or anything like that," Laguna responded.

"So why are you here then?" Kiros asked.

"Well, growing up, I always wanted to travel the world and tell everyone about what I saw. I figured journalism was just the thing for me, but I never did that well in school. I did just enough to pass and get by. After I graduated, I wanted to go to some academy that could help me live out my dream through journalism, but I had no money, and my grades just plain sucked. I vowed I was gonna travel around the world one way or another. I ended up joining the army because it was my best chance of doing that. That's why I'm here," Laguna revealed.

"That's interesting, but do you think you'll be able to handle all these demands and stuff? It's pretty rough," Kiros commented.

"I'm not sure. I get so nervous under pressure, and whenever that happens, my legs cramp up really bad. I guess it's good that I'm cramped everywhere right now so I can't tell how uneasy I am. I think it's better for me to just not know. Anyway, you got my reasons for being here. Why don't you guys tell me why you're here?" Laguna suggested.

"Things got boring at home and I couldn't stand it anymore. I'm here for some excitement and I hope I get some!" Ward explained.

"I don't really know why I'm here. Just had the urge to sign up one day, so I did," Kiros simply remarked.

The three continued to talk, learning new things about one another and building a strong friendship in the process. After some time, the boats stopped abruptly. "Whoa, what's with the sudden stop?" Laguna asked.

"My guess would be that we're here," Kiros said.

That was when they heard it. There was rapid gunfire and it was aimed at their ships. "We're being shot at!" Ward exclaimed.

"We're trapped in here! What do we do?!" Laguna asked, evidently panicked.

"Wait until they stop, I guess. They shouldn't waste too much more ammunition just trying to keep us in the boats," Kiros said.

After a few more minutes, the hail of bullets had ceased. "Hurry! Let's move!" the elite soldier in charge ordered.

"Is he serious?! We'll get killed as soon as we get off the boat!" Laguna said.

"It's not our place to question orders. We just do it. Let's go," Kiros said.

A flood of blue, green, and crimson poured out of the vessel, armed and ready to face their long-time enemy. They never expected what they saw when they emerged. There were Esthar soldiers everywhere; far more than they expected, and easily outnumbering the Galbadian troops.

"I didn't expect this many of them. Why would there be so many just because President Delta stepped foot in this place?" Kiros mused.

"This is Sorceress Adel we're dealing with here. Now, enough talk and let's charge!" Ward said, hoisting his harpoon over his head.

Laguna, Kiros, and Ward ran into the fight with the rest of the soldiers. A large group of Esthar soldiers opened fire on the Galbadians packed together. Laguna dropped down and hid behind the others in fear. "What are you doing?! You gotta shoot them!" Kiros exclaimed.

Laguna cried out in pain. "The cramping's never been this bad before! I'm way too nervous. I can't do it. I guess I'll just have to lay here and die like a coward," he said.

"Get a hold of yourself, man! Pull yourself together! You came to see the world and now you're gonna give up before you even get the chance? That's insane! I say lift that weapon of yours and fire away! Live to see another day!" Ward said.

Laguna looked up at both of them and nodded. "You're right. Thanks guys." He got back up to his feet, grimacing due to the soreness felt in his still-cramped leg. He raised his machine gun and fired repeatedly. A lot of them missed, but he still hit some of the Esthar soldiers, doing damage to their numbers.

"That's the way to do it!" Kiros complimented. "Let's keep moving!"

They continued ahead with the group of Galbadian soldiers, advancing against their enemies who were trying to push them back. Laguna, Kiros, and Ward were near the back because of Laguna's mishap, but Ward rushed into the fray, eager to fight. His two comrades followed directly behind.

Ward let out a loud war cry and shoved his harpoon through the stomach of an Esthar soldier, impaling him. He pulled it back and the soldier dropped to the ground with the large hole in his body. Kiros sliced another soldier across the neck, cutting his jugular vein. He grabbed his neck as it bled profusely and quickly died.

A soldier fired at Laguna, who stepped aside and shot him in the leg. He knelt over, clutching the hole where the blood spilled from. "Allow me," Ward said, and he viciously thrusted his harpoon through the soldier's back. His body was racked with pain for a split second, causing it to convulse. Then the soldier died and was still.

Laguna nodded approvingly, then his eyes widened as he saw another Esthar soldier sneaking up from behind on Ward. "Look out!" he warned.

Almost instantly, Ward turned around and slashed the enemy across the stomach with the sharp tip of his weapon. The soldier's mouth dropped open, as if in shock, as blood began to flow out of it and the fresh incision. Ward was about to finish him when Laguna intervened.

"It's my turn now." He lifted his machine gun and said, "Say good night, pal." Then he placed a bullet in the soldier's skull, effectively putting him out of his misery.

Kiros heaved one of his Katal blades into each leg of an Esthar soldier, causing him to shriek in agony. Then Kiros quickly brought them up to his stomach, leaving a long trail of opened flesh soaked with blood. He removed his blades and the soldier dropped without another sound.

Then the three of them heard their superior speaking to them. "Hey, you three! Come with us! We're going to look for where the president is being held captive!" he ordered.

The three of them joined the group and went in search of their missing leader.

_Author's Notes: So what did you think? Please let me know in a review, along with some honest constructive criticism. It'll only help me improve as a writer._


	4. Searching for the President

Chapter 4- Searching for the President  
  
The nervous green eyes of Laguna searched around frantically for the enemy as they traversed the underground of Fisherman's Horizon. He desperately wanted to talk and convey his fears to his new companions, but his superiors made it very clear that secrecy was of the utmost importance on the rescue mission.  
  
There were about ten others with him. Laguna wondered if they all felt the same way as he did about this. He was very doubtful about their ability to save President Delta without a hitch or casualty. Of course, he was also afraid that he'd be that hitch or casualty. He couldn't believe what he'd gotten himself into and hoped he would get out alive.  
  
Kiros and Ward appeared calm and collected, like the rest of the Galbadian soldiers, making Laguna feel like he wasn't even in the same league as these guys. He had little or no patience or control in these kinds of situations. He was amazed that he hadn't had a breakdown or screamed out loud by now.  
  
Suddenly, everyone stopped and Laguna wondered what was going on. "We need to be especially quiet now. Someone might be waiting down here for us. Let's sneak by," the soldier in charge whispered.  
  
Underneath Fisherman's Horizon were the docks, where the locals could keep their fishing boats. However, the vessels pulled up into this area were those of the Esthar Army. Their commander was wise to advise discretion in case any of their soldiers were around.  
  
Now Laguna's nerves were even worse, and wasn't sure if he could contain himself much longer. Ward glanced over at him, and noticed his shaky disposition. He placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. Laguna jumped, and then realized that it was only Ward. He smiled slightly, first in embarrassment, and then in appreciation.  
  
They finally made it past the vessels and came to the end of the docks shortly after. Like there was a ladder at the beginning to allow them to come down, there was a ladder her that would allow them to ascend back up. The leader proceeded cautiously, rung by rung, and then peeked his head through the porthole.  
  
He recognized the place as the mayor's house. He had never actually been inside of it, but he had seen it from the outside. The soldier had looked in the window while he was stationed there before the fighting had escalated.  
  
He heard voices upstairs, and he presumed that they weren't any of his allies. He signaled for the others to come up quietly. Laguna was the last, and he tripped on the final rung. He dropped loudly onto the floor. The Galbadian soldiers around him assumed fighting stances, but no one came.  
  
Kiros shook his head, getting the feeling that the guy didn't have it all together. He didn't seem cut out to be a soldier. Then he got an idea. Kiros resolved he would protect Laguna and train him better, since he felt he was already developing a friendship and attachment to him.  
  
Laguna stood back up to his feet slowly, his pride badly damaged due to his clumsiness. He felt awful for nearly blowing their cover. He knew he would've been reprimanded if there had been time, but knew he would hear it later.  
  
Since they apparently hadn't been heard, they decided to move upstairs and catch whoever was up there off guard. As Laguna started to follow, the commander halted him. "You're stayin' here, Loire. We can't have you messin' up our operation," he said harshly.  
  
Laguna hung his head and they went on without him. Upstairs, they found several Esthar soldiers gathered around a man tied up in a chair. They seemed to be interrogating him. They could see that it was President Delta. He was a feeble old man with white hair, and a face covered with wrinkles. He had small brown eyes, which were filled with fear at the moment.  
  
The Galbadian soldiers couldn't hear what was being said, but it really didn't matter. As they tried to creep up on the Esthar soldiers, Ward accidentally kicked a wrench that was lying on the floor. The group turned around sharply. "Galbadians!" one of them exclaimed.  
  
Another quickly pulled up the president in front of him as a human shield. "You will let us go, or he dies," the soldier threatened.  
  
He walked around him, keeping President Delta in his tight grip. As he descended the stairs backwards, Laguna saw them and his eyes widened. This was his big opportunity to redeem himself for earlier mistakes. He slowly approached the Esthar soldier from behind. "Good night," he said as he rammed his machine gun into his head.  
  
He crumpled harmlessly to the floor, relinquishing his hold on the president. "Thank you, good soldier. What is your name?" Delta asked with a shaky voice.  
  
"Laguna Loire, sir!" he replied. Then he shouted to the soldiers upstairs, "Hey guys! I got the president!"  
  
The Esthar soldiers' eyes enlarged in dread. The Galbadian soldiers slaughtered them mercilessly. Then the Galbadian Army ordered the retreat and escaped safely with President Delta.  
  
Back at Delta City, at the city hall, Senator Vinzer Deling was in his office awaiting a phone call. The telephone rang, and he instantly picked it up. "Deling here."  
  
"Great news, Senator, sir! We rescued the president from Esthar!" a Galbadian general informed him excitedly.  
  
It wasn't the person he had been hoping for. He groaned silently and feigned relief. "That's good to hear. Who was the soldier responsible for his safe rescue?" Deling inquired.  
  
"…The soldier's name is Laguna Loire," the general replied.  
  
"I have never heard of him. Who is he?" he asked.  
  
"A private who just finished boot camp last week. Honestly, between you and me, sir, he's a bumbling idiot. Nearly blew the whole thing. It was only luck that we weren't killed and he saved him," the general said.  
  
"Don't let word out about that, soldier. Give someone else the glory and praise. We don't want some silly soldier ruining our reputation," Deling stated. He was really more worried about his own reputation and his associates' than Galbadia's. He didn't care about that.  
  
"Yes, sir!" the general responded.  
  
"Thank you. That is all," Deling said and rudely hung up. He was furious.  
  
The phone rang again and he answered it. "Deling here."  
  
"Uhh…I have some…bad news, sir. The Galbadians took back Delta," a nervous voice told him.  
  
"So I heard. I can't believe you let some moron get the better of you. You have disappointed me. I almost can't believe I started working with you in the first place," Deling said sternly.  
  
"We're…sorry…sir," the man apologized.  
  
"What did Delta say?" the senator questioned.  
  
"He refused to talk, sir. However, we felt he was about to give in, but the Galbadians arrived. We didn't get any of the information you asked for," the man answered.  
  
"Listen, I don't want to hear your excuses! You failed! I want the presidency! I want the power! Do whatever it takes! Kill him if you have to! Just do not fail me again. Are we clear?" Deling said greedily.  
  
"Y-Yes, sir."  
  
"Good. Now go get it done," he said and hung up.  
  
Author's Notes: I know it's been a long time since I updated, and I'm sorry about that. I'll try to get this story updated more frequently. Anyway, let me know what you thought in a review. 


	5. Mending a Broken Heart

Chapter 5- Mending a Broken Heart 

On the trip back to the Galbadian capital, the trio was ecstatic about the successful operation and was anticipating the warm welcome they would receive upon their arrival. "So what do you think they have in store for us when we get back?" Ward asked.

"Maybe Laguna will get a medal for his heroics," Kiros said.

"It was just luck though," Laguna stated modestly with a grin.

"We know, but they don't have to know that."

"Oh, right! I might become really famous and all! How cool would that be?" the man with the machine gun commented excitedly.

"Yeah, you'll be the most famous klutz in the history of Galbadia," Ward said, and he laughed along with Kiros.

"Hey! That's not funny, guys! If you guys wanna be associated with the soon-to-be national hero, you better be nice to me. I can make you famous, too," Laguna said. The large Galbadian soldier smirked, but didn't say a word. "You'll see."

He received numerous words of gratitude from the other soldiers as they returned to Delta City. A small crowd of government officials was waiting for them at the docks where they would return, although the head of the Senate, Vinzer Deling, was notably absent. As the soldiers exited the boat behind President Delta, the officials applauded them.

One of them stepped forward to their feeble leader. "Welcome back, President. I hate to rush, but we must hurry back to the Presidential Residence. Senator Deling requests your presence there. We have a limousine waiting."

He led him to the nearby black vehicle and opened the door for him. The old man crouched, and slowly got inside. The door was closed behind him. The government official got in on the other side, and it drove off.

Once it was out of sight, another senator stepped forward and spoke. "General Lancera, come forward." The commanding officer took a step toward him. "On behalf of the Senate, I thank you for saving our president from our sworn enemy, Esthar."

"Sir, I must say that it wouldn't have been possible…"

"…A promotion to a more experienced platoon and a huge raise in pay are in order to reward your heroics," he interrupted.

"…A pay raise, huh?" He had been tempted and swayed quickly. The name Laguna Loire and his deeds were immediately forgotten.

"Yes, nothing but the best for Galbadia's hero. We will discuss terms at the Presidential Residence in a private meeting if you'll come with us."

"That's all, soldiers! Dismissed!" the general announced to his troops.

They all began to disperse, until only Laguna, Kiros, and Ward remained at the docks. "Can you believe that?! He gets all the credit for doin' nothing while I get nothing for doin' his work! It's almost like it was planned or something! It's like they wanted me to be stuck in this dead end position as a simple soldier for the rest of my life! I'm at a loss for words here!" Laguna exclaimed in a tirade.

"…And it shows," Kiros remarked.

"You're obviously upset. We need to go some place where you can drown your sorrows," Ward advised. "You guys got a bar around here? I could use a drink or two myself."

"There's a lounge at the Galbadia Hotel with a bar in it," Kiros answered.

"Great! Come on, buds! Let's get goin'."

Laguna stared at the ground and sighed, not moving, as the other two started to walk off. His friends noticed that he was not following them, and turned to him. "You can't mope around all day. Maybe this'll cheer you up a bit," Kiros said.

"I doubt it…"

"It's worth a try. Let's get your mind off things," Ward encouraged.

"All right," he reluctantly agreed.

The three of them entered the constantly darkened city, and headed for the Galbadia Hotel. There was little said along the way, and the man with the machine gun remained depressed. The other two hoped there would be something that could cheer him up. The area around the hotel was well lit, with lampposts surrounding it, and the name of the facility was displayed over the doorway in neon green letters.

"Wow, looks pretty nice. We don't have anything this fancy where I'm from," Ward commented.

The trio walked inside, Laguna dragging at the end. "The lounge is downstairs," Kiros stated. "Follow me."

He led them to the area, which was dim, lit only by candles placed on top of the few tables in the place. The bar itself was over against the wall, and there was a piano near the stairs. They sat at a table in the lower right section of the lounge, and a waitress soon came over to them. "What can I get for you?"

"Give me some of your hardest stuff," Ward requested. "Better yet, make it three."

"Coming right up!" She went over to the bar to get their drinks, and returned with them shortly afterwards. She placed them on the table in front of the soldiers. "So, you boys gonna stick around for the show?" she inquired.

"Show?" Ward asked, perplexed.

"Yeah, we just got a new piano. There's a new piano player comin' into the city tonight. Heard she's really good. You guys should stick around."

"Maybe we will," Kiros said. The waitress smiled and left. "Hear that, Laguna? A new girl's in town tonight. One who doesn't know of all your clumsy mistakes or anything like that. This could be your big chance."

The man with the machine gun remained silent, and stared blankly at the table, not even touching his drink. Ward had already finished his off and was calling over the waitress to get another. They heard the sound of heels clicking on the stairs, notifying them of her arrival.

"This must be her," Kiros said.

Laguna decided to have a look at her, just to see if she was at least attractive. However, once he laid eyes on her, he couldn't stop watching her. She had pale skin, which contradicted her dark black hair. He thought her brown eyes were beautiful, full of life and compassion. She wore a sparkling red dress that almost touched the floor. She glanced over the room, and his heart skipped a beat when it felt like she had looked directly at him.

Then she sat down at the piano and began to play. It was wonderful music to his ears, and he paid attention to her delicate fingers masterfully producing the melody. He was mesmerized by everything she did. Kiros snapped his fingers to get Laguna's attention. When there was no response, he smirked. "I think she's got him."

He barely moved the entire time she was playing. Eventually, Ward took Laguna's glass off of the table and consumed it himself. Kiros shot him a glance. "What? It's not like he was drinkin' it."

When she had finished, the small group that had gathered clapped. She smiled briefly, making her eyes sparkle brightly, and then she left. "Laguna?" Kiros asked.

"Huh? What is it?"

"Time to get going," Ward said.

"You guys wait upstairs. I'll catch up to you in a minute," he said, wearing a ridiculously idiotic smile that wouldn't disappear.

Kiros and Ward left him alone and exited the room. Laguna got up from his seat, and slowly sauntered over to the waitress. "Do you know what that woman's name is?" he asked curiously.

"Julia Heartilly."

"Is she gonna play again?"

"Oh yeah, she'll be playing all the time. She's quite popular, it seems," she replied.

Then Laguna headed upstairs to join his friends in the lobby. "Ready to go?" Kiros asked.

"Yeah, but we comin' back tomorrow night."

_Author's Note: I apologize for the lack of updates. I'll try to write and get things out a little faster. Let me know what you thought of it in a review. It's always good to hear from my readers._


	6. End of an Era

Chapter 6- End of an Era 

The three soldiers had decided to stay in the Galbadian Hotel for the night since they were allowed to rent rooms for free. They each elected to sleep in separate rooms. In the morning, Kiros woke up and decided to turn on the television to watch the news. He reached over to his nightstand from where he laid and grabbed the remote. The moment he turned it on, before the picture had even appeared, he heard the voice of a male reporter saying, "President Delta died last night at the Presidential Residence of unknown causes."

The Galbadian soldier sat up in his bed immediately in shock. "What?!" He listened intently as the broadcast continued.

"An emergency call to the paramedics was made by Senator Vinzer Deling, who was reportedly with him at the time along with fellow senator, Quentin Adrallis. They told those that arrived on the scene that they had been discussing business that had transpired during his absence when he suddenly fell to the floor, dead. Senator Deling believes President Delta's death could have been caused by the severe stress of recent events, which might have been too much for someone of his age.

As we all know, he had just returned to Delta City last night after a trip to Fisherman's Horizon was drastically cut short when he was kidnapped by Esthar and rescued shortly afterwards by Galbadian troops. For the time being, the head of the Senate, which is Deling, will assume the presidency. Then a pair of representatives will be chosen by the Assembly and elected by the people at a later date…"

Then Kiros turned off the television and hopped out of the bed. He slid on his crimson and gold outfit, leaving his Katals and Galbadian uniform crumpled in the corner of his hotel room. As he was about to open his door, he heard a loud pounding on the outside. He opened it to see Ward's towering frame before him, in his plain white shirt, dark green pants, brown boots, and large blue bandana.

"Did you hear the news about President Delta?" he asked.

"Yeah, just a minute ago," Kiros replied. "Let's go get Laguna. I doubt he's even awake yet."

They moved to his door across the hall and Ward knocked boisterously and repeatedly. Eventually, a weary Laguna opened the door. "What took you so long? We already woke up everyone else on this hall and we were knocking on _your_ door!" Ward said.

"Sorry, didn't hear ya. I was really tired," he apologized.

"Have you heard the news?"

"What news?" he asked curiously.

"…President Delta died last night," Kiros informed.

His friend's eyes bulged in surprised. "What happened?!"

"They dunno," the humongous soldier answered.

"So who's in charge now?" Laguna inquired.

"Deling."

The man with the machine gun wasn't sure of what to say next. He was depressed to hear that their great leader had died. Kiros and Ward exchanged brief glances and then turned their attention back to their friend. "Um…Me and Kiros were gonna head down to the lounge. Wanna join us?"

"Uhh…" Laguna was about to reject their proposal, but then he remembered Julia from the night before. He wanted to see her again. "…Sure. I'll meet you guys down there."

The two of them left and he shut the door. He quickly slid on his brown pants. Then he grabbed his dark blue jacket and slipped it on over his shirt. Then he put on his black boots and slid the room key into his back pocket as he left. After he had descended the stairs, he decided to talk to the receptionist. "Hello…Is, uh…Julia gonna be here today?" he asked nervously.

"Oh, yes. She'll be playing in the lounge in about an hour," she replied.

Then Laguna headed down into the lounge to join his comrades. They had already grabbed the table they had been at the night before, and had already ordered drinks. Ward was finishing his up and preparing to get another. He sat down next to them and ordered a drink when the waitress came over to them. She brought his drink shortly after.

"So do you think that piano player will show up again today?" Ward asked with a sly smile.

"…Maybe."

"Hope so?"

"Sure, Julia's a great piano player," he said, trying to act nonchalant.

"Julia? Is that her name? Where'd you learn that?" Kiros asked curiously while a grin started to slowly creep across his face.

"The waitress told me last night before I left."

"…Oh, I thought you might've actually gathered enough courage to speak to her."

Laguna pretended to laugh as if he found the idea absurd. "What? You think I'm interested in her that way?"

Kiros rolled his eyes and shook his head. "You expect us to believe you only like her music? No offense, but you don't seem like the musical type. Besides, we saw the way you were starin' at her last night. You can't fool us, Laguna. We know, man."

As time progressed, people started filing into the lounge, consisting mostly of Galbadian soldiers in casual attire. They even saw a face they recognized: General Lancera. He also noticed them and strolled over to them. "Hey, how have you guys been?" he asked politely.

"I'm surprised you even remember us," Ward commented.

"Why wouldn't I? We wouldn't have rescued the president without you." The trio remained silent. "…Yeah, that's probably a bad subject right now. I feel the same way. Wouldn't you know it? I'm promoted to second in command only to General Caraway, of course, and then I hear President Delta's dead. Makes it all seem bittersweet. I hear General Caraway's gonna be here, too. It seems a lotta people heard about this Julia fast, and they're all comin' to check it out. Well, I'll see you guys around." Then he left them alone.

A short while afterwards, Julia made her appearance and she received an outstanding round of applause from the soldiers. She smiled appreciatively, but did not stop on her way to the piano. She sat down and began to play. Laguna fell back into his trance as she performed for the audience. Kiros and Ward grinned at him.

"Why don't you wave at her?" the large Galbadian soldier suggested.

"It's not like she'll see me or anything," he said.

"So then what's the problem? Wave at her."

"No way, man! What if she sees me?!"

"Maybe it's too early in the relationship for a wave. We can save it for another time," Kiros said.

The witty soldier scanned the crowd and spotted General Caraway standing near the stairs. He was easy to distinguish from the others, being dressed in a formal black suit. He had been highly decorated at a young age due to his impressive military skills that seemed to come naturally to him. Caraway's story had been highly publicized since he was the youngest general in Galbadian history. President Delta had put him in command over the army, preparing him to lead Galbadia into the war that was bound to break out with Esthar. 

Sorceress Adel had been openly hostile toward Galbadia, which was why she had ordered Delta's kidnapping. Everyone around the world felt that would be the event that would lead to the second Sorceress War. _(Plus, with a new president taking over, especially one without much power or influence yet, Adel might be the one to take initiative.)_ Kiros thought.

After Julia had concluded, the packed crowd applauded and dispersed from the lounge. "Shall we hit the town? I haven't really gotten a chance to take a look around," Ward said.

"Yeah, let's paint the town green!" Laguna said enthusiastically.

"…Don't you mean 'red'?" 

Then the three of them left the hotel and entered the well-lit street. The lampposts were on, even in the early morning hours due to the abnormal state of constant darkness. Televisions were lined up in the windows of shops and people gathered around them. "What's this all about?" Kiros asked curiously.

They joined the crowd around the televisions. "…President Deling is not wasting any time taking action. He has shown that he intends to make sure he keeps the presidency. He has renamed the Galbadian capital Deling City in honor of himself and has ordered troops to be sent into various Esthar bases around the world. He wishes to strike first before Sorceress Adel has the chance. This chain of events should definitely help his election campaign," the reporter said,

Laguna, Kiros, and Ward exchanged dubious glances. "I have a bad feeling about this," Kiros said.

_Author's Notes: Finally Deling comes into power. I'm sure you all can guess what really happened to President Delta. Anyway, let me know what you thought in a review. God bless._


	7. It's Only the Beginning

Chapter 7- It's Only the Beginning 

The next morning, all of Galbadia's troops were called together at an army base just outside of Deling City. The newly appointed president was not with them, but instead it was General Caraway overseeing the gathering.

"Welcome, fellow Galbadians. President Deling couldn't be here with us, so I was appointed to hand out your new assignments. As you all know, we will be invading bases on the Esthar continent. A war is inevitable, so it is imperative that Galbadia makes the first move. We must keep Sorceress Adel and Esthar at bay and out of here for as long as possible, meaning this is our only option. A direct invasion of the capital is out of the question at the moment, since it will be well guarded. However, there are bases on each corner of the continent that a squadron the size we will be sending should be able to penetrate their defenses. You will be divided up by your army identification numbers and headed by a commanding officer. Once you find out which group you're in, get together with your fellow soldiers and we'll get moving. Good luck to you all."

Naturally, Laguna, Kiros, and Ward were together due to the fact that they joined the army near the same time as the other. They also managed to be placed under General Lancera again. He gave them their orders haphazardly, stuttering throughout. He was obviously very nervous about being over so many soldiers at one time and the burden of his expectations was weighing heavily on his mind. 

Their enormous group was headed for an army base on the southeastern corner of the continent named Vesta. It was the smallest of the four targets, and also the longest trip from the Galbadian continent. The vessels took off from the docks for their destination. All of the troops were very nervous. They were about to take place in starting a war against a mighty and mysterious nation ruled by a sorceress. They knew many of them weren't going to make it back alive, and they would lose many close friends in the process. It had been so peaceful for many years that most did not know what to expect. All they knew was that war was a terrible thing, but a fact of life that could not be avoided.

Some of the soldiers were getting physically sick during the long trip. They had prepared for such an occasion by providing buckets for them, but the stench was so overwhelming at times that they had to dump it overboard.

"Man, this is rough," Laguna commented.

"Just wait 'til we get there," Kiros said.

"I'm really nervous."

"We all are," Ward said. "After all, this is war."

They all wondered if things were going to work out. Even though it was an ambush, they were a young squad headed by a relatively inexperienced commanding officer. They did not know what to expect from Esthar because they remained isolated for the most part. All they had to go by was the skirmish at the Estharian continent of Fisherman's Horizon. Galbadia was sure that their enemy had some information on them and would be prepared for them.

Laguna, Kiros, and Ward strolled over to the side of the boat, and stared out at the vast, expansive ocean. "How much longer do you think it'll be?" the man with the machine gun asked curiously.

"I dunno…We've been out for a few hours now. Shouldn't be much longer than an hour," the large Galbadian soldier speculated.

"Sounds about right," his witty comrade agreed.

The clumsy soldier's black hair was being blown in every direction by the strong winds. It was constantly getting into his eyes, making it impossible to see, and he tried to brush it away to no avail. Once he became frustrated by it, he tried frantically to hold it in place. "Argh…Stay still…!" The winds could easily overcome his efforts, but he continued to try persistently.

"At least it keeps him distracted," Kiros muttered.

"Yeah, but you know he's bound to freak out when we get there," Ward whispered.

"I know. I haven't known him too long, but I can tell he's just not made for these kinda things. We'll just have to keep an eye on him." The Winhill native nodded in agreement.

A short while afterwards, the rocky Esthar shoreline came into view. "It's almost time," Laguna said, pacing back and forth across the deck nervously.

The ships started to slow down as the closed in on the coast. They spread out the fleet to avoid being easily detected by the enemy. The Galbadian soldiers grabbed their weapons and prepared to disembark immediately upon landing. "You ready?" Kiros asked.

"Ready as I'm gonna get," the man with the machine gun replied.

"Gonna be okay this time?"

"I hope so."

The vessel came out of the water and ran ashore. The soldiers filed out in a disciplined, orderly manner. "Follow me! I'll lead you to our destination!" General Lancera cried out.

The troops dashed after him bearing their weapons close to them. They were searching around frantically as they ran across the desert, fearing a surprise attack by the enemy. The cluttered footprints in the sand would gather together and get mixed up as they passed through, but the hot minds would quickly blow away and remove any traces of them.

Soon, a modern-looking structure came into sight. "Halt!" Lancera commanded, and they immediately obeyed. "We will circle around the base, and then commence the invasion. So spread out, soldiers!"

The Galbadians formed a wide ring of bodies and slowly marched inward, decreasing the size of the circle as they came closer. Once they had come near it, they halted again. They could see Estharian soldiers patrolling around the inside of the base through the glass, but they didn't appear to be concerned. Either they hadn't seen them yet or they simply weren't afraid of them. They had formed the circle so none of them could escape, but it did not seem necessary with them not evacuating.

"Get ready!" The soldiers withdrew one grenade from a small pouch attached to their uniform. They had been ordered to launch them at the base and proceed to open fire at their leader's command. "Unload upon them!" Lancera shouted.

Grenades starting raining against the building from all sides and then detonated. Flames soared high into the air and the soldiers shielded their eyes from the brightness of the fire. It nearly consumed the entire building immediately, and none of the soldiers could see any part of Vesta for a brief moment. Broken shards of glass flew out from the building, and ignited bodies starting falling from the upper levels of the base.

The Galbadian soldiers sighed in relief, thinking it was already over and it had been easier than they had expected. Then the cyborg versions of the Esthar soldiers starting pouring from the compound, charging fearlessly and mindlessly at their enemies. They nervously aimed and fired at the half-human, half-robot soldiers. Relatively few fell, and the majority of them continued to come at them.

Laguna could not deny that he was scared, but he could not just remain motionless and do nothing. He had to take initiative to protect himself and those around him. Taking a deep breath, he yelled, "Come on, guys! We can take them! Remember what we're fighting for!! Charge!!!!" Then he ran into the fray, rapidly firing off shots from his machine gun.

Kiros and Ward were shocked at his boldness, but also mightily encouraged by his ability to overcome his fear. They joined their comrade and the rest of his fellow soldiers followed.

The Katal blades of the witty soldier sliced open the Esthar cyborgs, cutting their circuits and causing sparks to emit from them. Laguna had to practically fill them with holes before they would fall, which he found frustrating. Ward used his immense strength and humongous harpoon to impale the robotic Estharians. Then he would lift up the limp creations and toss them forcefully, colliding with others and knocking them down.

However, after knocking out some of them, he became too confident and tried taking on more than he could handle. As Ward's harpoon pierced a cyborg soldier, another slashed at him with the blade, which replaced their fist during a battle. It cut a long line down the left side of his face, starting above the eyebrows and reaching to the bottom of his chin. He shouted in agony, stumbled backwards, and then collapsed onto his face at the feet of Laguna and Kiros.

"Ward!!!!" they exclaimed simultaneously with extreme concern and kneeled beside him.

_Author's Notes: Well, what did you think? Let me know in a review along with some constructive criticism. It'll help me improve as a writer. God bless._


	8. Returning Home

Chapter 8- Returning Home 

Laguna and Kiros knelt beside their fallen comrade, and rolled him over onto his back. Blood was smeared all over Ward's face and his eyes were closed. "Ward! Can you hear me?!" Laguna asked urgently. There was no response from the large Galbadian soldier.

The Esthar cyborgs were beginning to close in on them in overwhelming numbers, with a seemingly endless supply still emerging from the scorched base. "Retreat!" General Lancera screamed. "All troops fall back!"

"What?! We can't just leave now! Ward needs our help!" Laguna protested.

"There's no time, Loire! Leave now before they get you, too!" he warned.

"So be it. We can't just leave our friend here to die," Kiros said.

Galbadian troops had begun to retreat, but when they saw the valor and courage of the two, they were inspired. They began to form a line in front of the trio to protect them. "We'll fight them off! You get him back to the boat!" one of them said.

"Thank you," Kiros said gratefully.

Many of them sacrificed themselves only to help one wounded man escape, but they believed it was a just cause. They could not leave someone to die at the enemy's hand. It would disgrace the name of Galbadia to leave an injured soldier on the battlefield, especially if they could still help. The deceased president Valmir Delta had instilled those values in them, but many knew that it would not be the same under the new President Deling. The soldiers who knew him well were aware that he was not a moral man, but that he was corrupt with greed for money and power.

General Lancera did not participate, but watched in anger as his troops opened fire and attacked the Esthar soldiers. Smoke from their guns filled the air along with the deafening noise. Only a few of the stout Esthar soldiers were defeated by the assault. They had been built to withstand the extreme pressure of the bullets that were fired. Realizing that it was useless to fight them at a distance, they charged with their swords drawn. The sharp blades sliced open numerous soldiers, sending sparks flying from their mechanical forms. The cyborgs continued to resist the onslaught and began to take down Galbadian soldiers with the weapons that had been scientifically attached to their arms. The soulless machines were strong and superior, but the humans still fought back bravely and never faltered as they persisted in their attacks.

As the Galbadian soldiers withheld the siege of the cyborgs, Laguna and Kiros struggled in helping Ward back due to his immense size. They dragged him along slowly, until a few other warriors came over and offered them assistance. Together, they returned the large soldier to the vessel, and those that had been fighting escaped and they left Esthar for home.

On the journey back, General Lancera was furious with his troops, especially Laguna and Kiros. He confronted them on the deck, where they sat beside their unconscious friend, who was spread out in the bright sunlight. "Don't ever defy me on the battlefield again! I'm the one in charge here, and what I say goes! You got that?! Then you turned my own men against me, too! I'll make sure of it that you never go anywhere in this army! What were you thinking?! Can you imagine what'll happen if President Deling hears about this?!"

"He won't hear about it, and you know it," Kiros stated calmly. "Just like the truth about Fisherman's was never revealed…It'll be the exact same thing."

They turned their attention back to Ward, anxiously waiting for him to regain consciousness. The general stomped off in an outrage. They all knew he didn't possess the leadership qualities necessary to command a squadron that size. He was inexperienced, rash, and poor in decision-making. Everyone thought that surely Vinzer Deling was aware of that, but apparently he was not.

Ward groaned and slowly opened his eyes. All of the dried blood had been washed off of his face, and his wound bandaged. The medics had told them that the cut was not serious, but would probably leave an ugly scar. "Where am I…?" he muttered in a stupor.

"We had to bring you back," Laguna replied.

"Is everything okay, guys? How'd the battle go?" he asked eagerly.

"We won…Don't worry about it."

"One wouldn't say there was a victor. We accomplished our objective and then we left. I'd call it a success though," Kiros clarified.

Ward chuckled weakly. "Don't need to be so technical, Kiros. I know what he meant."

"Lancera wanted us to leave you behind," Laguna stated.

"He did? Obviously, he must've been pretty upset after you guys helped me, huh?"

"I guess you could say that, but we don't care what that guy thinks," the man with the machine gun said. 

"And you shouldn't. I hope they demote him. He doesn't deserve what he's got," Ward said.

"No kiddin'," the witty soldier agreed.

The large Winhill native sat up slowly. His friends extended him their hands and helped raise him up to his feet. "So what's in store for us now?"

"Only time will tell. It seems like we've taken the first step into full-scale war," Kiros said. "I think we cane expect Esthar's retaliation sometime soon."

When they had returned to Deling City the next day, General Lancera dismissed them in disgust. He did not want to have anything to do with his men. They all went their separate ways. 

Ward was feeling much better and was able to walk on his own without dizziness. "I wonder how the other invasions went," he mused.

"Well, let's find out. I'm sure we could find a TV with the news on around here somewhere," Kiros said.

Walking along the dreary streets of Galbadia's dark capital, the only bright spots were places of business, which needed to be well lit to attract customers. Most of them had televisions in the windows, usually with crowds of people gathered around them in interest. The trio stopped and watched as well.

"…While the attacks on the bases were successful, they were not without casualties. However, none suffered more losses than the invasion of Vesta on the southeastern corner. Reportedly, from what we've been told, the soldiers did not heed the orders of their leader, General Lancera, to fall back after the bombardment was complete. It is unknown what caused this deliberate disobedience, or who was at the center of it, but General Lancer is likely to be reprimanded for his poor leadership and possibly demoted. It wouldn't come as a surprise to most, who believed he was not qualified and was moved up in the ranks too suddenly due to one achievement. We are certain to receive backlash from the sinister Sorceress Adel and Esthar, but we cannot be sure of when it will be. Until it does, we can only be ready and wait. This is Brillus McCraud for the Galbadian National News reporting…"

"So we were right. He probably will get demoted. Serves him right though," Laguna said.

"Sure does. Time to head to the bar to celebrate our victory and his loss. It's been a good day," Ward commented with a wide grin.

They nodded in agreement and headed for the Galbadia Hotel lounge. The clumsy Galbadian was excited about seeing Julia play again. He couldn't wait until they got there. He was very jumpy during the short jaunt to their destination. Once they had arrived, he was the first into the lounge and first to have a seat at the table.

The waitress took their drink orders and returned with them shortly afterwards. "You guys are like my best customers these days, you know," she commented with a giggle.

Other Galbadian soldiers were there as well, celebrating their successful campaigns. They were conversing and laughing boisterously amongst themselves. They noticed that General Lancera was there as well, but he was not nearly as jubilant as the rest. He must have known they were there as well because he refused to face in their direction the entire time.

When Julia made her appearance, they hushed and watched her intently as she walked to the piano. She looked around the room briefly with her beautiful brown eyes, and then sat down. She began to play, and they all listening to her beautiful melodies. Laguna felt his heart pounding and an odd feeling in his stomach as he saw her looking in his direction.

_(Is she looking at me…? No way…Couldn't be…Could she?)_ Then he felt like he was about to pass out when it seemed that Julia winked and smiled at him. He was sure it couldn't have been him she was gesturing to, but he began to shake. (_Julia's extremely gorgeous. What would she want with a simple soldier from Galbadia like me? She could definitely have her pick of men, and she wouldn't pick me.)_

When she smiled again, her eyes sparkled magnificently. Laguna fell forward and slammed his head on the table loudly. Kiros and Ward laughed at him in amusement. "You okay, man?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," he mumbled, choosing not to lift his head up from the table. He did not want them to see how red his face was from embarrassment.

Once Julia had concluded, they saw General Lancer approach her and begin speaking to her. They couldn't read their lips, but the elegant piano player was nodding approvingly and smiling throughout the conversation. Then they left the lounge together, with the general holding the door open for her as she exited. Laguna's mouth dropped open in shock as feelings of depression hit him suddenly. Kiros and Ward noticed the look on his face and patted him on the back supportively. "I'm sorry, bud…" the bulky man said sympathetically.

"It'll be okay, man," his other friend said.

He didn't say a word, but walked away to his reserved room in the hotel alone.__


	9. Laguna's Struggles

Chapter 9- Laguna's Struggles 

That night, Laguna laid in his bed wide awake. He couldn't manage to fall asleep. He remained still for a long period of time with his eyes closed, hoping sleep would come. After a while, he realized that it was useless to try. The clumsy soldier opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling blankly. He raised his head up momentarily and slid his hands behind it. It was cold in the room, even being under the covers, and Laguna shivered.

(I can't believe Julia left with Lancera…Why would she wanna be with him anyway? I just blew whatever chance I might've had with her, if any. Now I'll never know if she would've been interested in me. I lost her to the last guy I would've wanted her to be with, but as long as she's happy…I guess. Who am I kidding? I don't want Julia to be happy with him! I want it to be…me, but now it's hopeless.)

The Galbadian got out of bed and walked over to his window. He looked out only to be greeted by blackness. It was completely dark except for the lampposts and neon signs of business shops. Even the moon and the stars provided no light. The clouds blocked them out. "Sure is dark outside," he muttered to himself.

(What does it matter if she's with him anyway? We'll probably get sent off to war in Esthar, and I'll never see her again. But I don't want that to happen! I wanna stay here…and see Julia. That's it! Tomorrow I'm gonna give Lancera a piece of my mind!)

"But not too much. You don't have much to spare, Kiros would say."

However, his new resolve didn't make it any easier for him to sleep. He still didn't feel tired at all. He walked back over to his bed and sat at the end. He scuffed his feet along the carpeted floor in boredom. Laguna ran his hand through his jet-black hair and sighed. One woman had brought him so low, but that was all it took.

Usually, he was a carefree, adventure-seeking individual, which was what led him to want to become a journalist. But he knew that he didn't have the qualifications, so he decided to join the Galbadian Army as an alternative. One way or another, he wanted to see the world, and nothing was going to stop him from accomplishing that dream. 

However, he didn't expect it to be so cruel and gruesome due to the war, but yet at the same time it managed to retain its beauty in spite of that. Some day, he hoped to return to the places he'd seen under more favorable circumstances. At least he'd be able to travel with his new buddies, Kiros and Ward, next time.

Laguna fell backwards and flopped onto the bed, causing it to squeak loudly. He dragged himself back up to the pillows and slipped under the covers again. The soldier rolled over onto his side and curled up in an attempt to warm himself up. Eventually, he managed to fall asleep and gain some much needed rest. However, his time of slumber seemed to end as soon as it began.

The clumsy soldier woke up with a feeling of wetness on his right cheek. He rubbed his face and realized he had been drooling. The Galbadian rose up from his pillow. He looked down and noticed that it was covered with drool as well. The man with the machine gun lazily stumbled out of the bed and picked up his jacket from its spot on the floor. Laguna put on his pants tiredly, accidentally putting them on backwards before realizing his mistake. He quickly corrected his mistake and then proceeded to slide on his boots.

He decided to take a walk around the capital city of Galbadia by himself. During the early morning hours, cars filled the streets as workers rushed to their jobs. The impatient drivers incessantly honked their horns during traffic jams when everything came to a complete standstill. Laguna didn't let any of the commotion bother him. He strolled along the streets with his hands in his pockets, whistling cheerfully.

He glanced into the windows of shops as he passed by, not paying attention to the path in front of him. The Galbadian soldier inadvertently bumped into a very large man. "Hey! Watch where you're goin', punk!" a gruff voice exclaimed.

He quickly turned his head to look at the man, and noticed that he towered over his short frame. He was at least a foot taller, with muscles rippling on his exposed arms. The individual also had a tattoo of a burning skull on his left bicep. Looking up at his face, Laguna gulped worriedly. His teeth were clenched in anger, with various gaps where some had been knocked out. He was completely bald, with eyes that were almost black, and an eyebrow ring.

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to…" he stuttered.

The gargantuan stranger laughed boisterously. "You didn't mean to? That's too bad for you, punk! I gotta teach you a lesson!" he said as he cracked his knuckles.

"A-A lesson? Why?" Laguna asked, frightening.

"Because nobody bumps into McGraw and gets away with it! Get ready for a beating!"

"I don't think so!" a voice called from behind the clumsy soldier.

He turned around to see Kiros and Ward running to his aid. "What are you guys doin' here?"

"We saw you leave the hotel and decided to follow you. We thought you might get into trouble," Kiros replied.

Ward stood in front of McGraw. They were almost the same height. "Ya wanna go at it, punk?"

The Galbadian soldier turned his head away and coughed loudly. "Man, your breath stinks! What have you been eatin'?"

His eyes lit up with rage. "Why you…!!!" 

He threw a punch at Ward, who ducked and punched him in the stomach. As he was bent over, the Winhill native lifted his knee and hit him in the nose. McGraw fell unconscious onto the cold, hard pavement. "Is that the best you can do?"

"Thanks buddy!" Laguna said appreciatively.

"No problem. Even you could've taken this guy. He's all talk."

They wandered the streets of Deling City until late in the day, and then returned to the hotel. "Time to hit the lounge, guys," Laguna said.

They walked downstairs and sat down at their usual table. The waitress brought over their drinks without them having to order them first. "I think I've got it down," she said with a laugh. Then she returned to serving her other customers.

A short while later, General Lancera entered the room. Laguna stood up from his seat. "What are you doing?" Kiros asked.

"I'm gonna confront Lancera about Julia," he replied.

"Good luck."

He walked over to the general with a look of determination on his face. "What were you doin' with Julia last night?!" he demanded.

"What? Are you her boyfriend or something?" he asked with an amused laugh.

"…No, but…"

"Then why do you care, Loire?" Lancera interrupted. "You got the hots for her?" The man with the machine gun didn't respond.

"It's none of your business, but I'll tell you anyway, just for fair warning. After we got back from Esthar, President Deling was very displeased with my performance. So he told me that I was gonna be demoted and had to remain stationed here. All thanks to you and your friends, I'm stuck here! So I asked Julia if she needed a bodyguard to protect her, since Deling City is a dangerous place for a woman to be alone. She agreed that it was a good idea, and so here I am. I protect her from scum who would take advantage of her…Especially you, Loire! I know you got a crush on her. You better not come anywhere near her or you will suffer severe consequences! Do you understand me?!"

An enraged Laguna walked off silently, avoiding the temptation to knock Lancera out. He plopped down in his seat next to his friends.

"What's the word?" Ward inquired curiously.

"He's her bodyguard," he replied simply.

"Oh…Well, don't be so upset. It could be worse," Kiros stated.

"I guess so, but now this means I'll never have a chance to get close to Julia."

At that moment, the pianist entered the lounge in a sparkling, dark green dress. She sat down and began to play melodies that soothed Laguna's soul. The anger faded away as he listened intently to her music, forgetting about everything else.


	10. The Sound of Trees Falling

Chapter 10- The Sound of Trees Falling 

Laguna, Kiros, and Ward frequented the lounge to hear Julia play the piano. Every night they were free from army requirements or duties, they were there. The trio remained stationed at Deling City, enduring daily training drills in case of a full-scale war with their enemy Esthar.

The battles had been few, with neither side able to gain a decisive victory in any of them. Except for Galbadian's opening expedition into Esthar that started the conflict between the world's major powers, the fighting had taken place entirely at sea. Both sides had attempted to invade the capital cities, which were located near the coast, but the naval forces had managed to drive them away.

President Vinzer Deling was fuming due to his lack of headway. The losses were many, the progress was minimal, and the Galbadian populace was discontented. His plan had worked at the beginning: falsely promising the people the opportunity to elect a leader had satisfied them, and then the declaration of war on Esthar had enabled him to seize power in the government and become ruler for life. 

However, things had not gone smoothly since then. The Galbadians wanted victory over their hated nemesis, but nothing was happening. Deling paced around his office in the Presidential Residence, hoping to come up with an idea that could raise his approval ratings among the people. He desperately needed some kind of resolution for the situation. He had to consider what they wanted. They desired a conquest over a despised rival as quickly as possible. Esthar had already proved to be too strong to be defeated in a short amount of time, but the president believed he could find another possibility.

"Who could we beat in a relatively small period of time?" he asked aloud. Vinzer Deling walked over to a world map and scanned it for a candidate. He grinned deviously once his eyes came across the target. "Timber…A small, weak country on this continent…It's perfect, but now I need an excuse to go to war." He pondered on a plausible reason for a while and eventually came up with an idea. "In the morning, I'll put my plan into action."

The next day, Laguna, Kiros, and Ward watched the news in their respective rooms. "…Breaking news here…Not long ago, we received word for the Galbadian government that President Vinzer Deling has infallible proof that the Timber government had made plans to assassinate him. He has not disclosed any further information, but a representative of Timber has vehemently denied the report's authenticity. President Deling did not comment on whether or not he will take action against the small republic. We will keep you updated as we receive more information…"

Kiros groaned in disappointment. "Not another conflict…Will this ever end? We'll probably get sent to this one, too."

The three soldiers dressed and met each other in the hallway. "Hear the news?" Ward asked.

"Yeah…What's this mean for us?" Laguna wondered.

"The soldiers stationed here will be the ones sent. Matter of fact, it won't even take that long. Galbadia's army is overwhelmingly stronger than Timber's. It should fall easily," Kiros replied.

"But do you think it's true? I mean, it sounded pretty suspicious to me. He couldn't even reveal why he felt they wanted to kill him. It's like he was just looking for an excuse to attack somebody," the bulky soldier commented.

"Either way, I got a bad feeling about this," Laguna said.

"I guess we'll find out what'll happen later," the thin soldier stated.

They reported to the military base just outside of Deling City later that day to learn their assignments and responsibilities in case of an invasion. However, most knew that attacking Timber was an imminent course of action. There was little doubt of it. The three soldiers were told that they would be sent to the front when the fighting took place, and they were required to report to the base each morning until then. They needed to be prepared for an immediate departure at any crucial moment.

"Who'd have ever thought there would be so much bloodshed in such a short period of time?" Kiros mused.

"I know. I didn't expect this at all when I joined," Laguna said.

"…But it's the army. What were you expecting?" Ward asked, perplexed.

"I know that! I mean, there hasn't been a war for a long time, and I figured this was the only way I'd see the world," the man with the machine gun answered with a sigh. "I'm not cut out for this kinda stuff."

"Maybe not, but you're getting' better at it," the Winhill native said encouragingly.

"Yeah, you'll get used to it…eventually," the witty soldier agreed.

"I don't know if I want to though. Maybe I should just quit," he said. His two friends remained silent, unsure of what to say. "Besides, if I go, I may never see Julia again."

"…But you've never even talked to her before. How can you feel such a strong attachment to her?" Kiros asked.

"I just feel like I have some sorta connection with her."

"So…what are you gonna do?"

"I don't know. I think I'll sleep on it tonight and get back to you guys in the morning."

They returned to the hotel that night, neither of them speaking much. They were deep in thought. All of them wondered about the consequences of his decision.

During the night, Laguna debated and weighed his choices in his mind. The rain was pouring heavily and pounded resoundingly upon the roof. Occasionally, a bolt of lightning would streak across the sky and the deafening thunder would continue to rumble for several seconds. The Galbadian soldier seemed oblivious to his surroundings and was not fazed by the storm.

_(What should I do? If I leave, I may never see Julia again, but I don't even know her. All I know I'd be missing is her beautiful music. There are always the possibilities though…They make me wanna stay, but what about the things I already have? If I quit, I'd be losing two friends. I guess that decides it.)_ Then Laguna rolled over onto his side, closed his eyes, and fell asleep.

In the morning, Kiros and Ward put on their uniforms and met in the hallway. "Should we knock?" the muscular soldier asked.

Before his comrade could answer, the door swung open and banged loudly against the wall. Their clumsy friend stepped out with his machine gun held in his hands. "Were you waiting for me?" he asked with a smirk.

"Does this mean you're going with us?" Ward asked.

"Yeah, I've figured out what's important right now," he replied.

"Good to know. By the way, you might want to put your machine gun away," Kiros suggested. "It's not exactly legal to have an exposed weapon in a public place, even if you are a soldier."

"Oh, right!" He concealed his gun with an embarrassed grin. "Let's get going, guys."

They reported to the Galbadian base and discovered that the raid on Timber was already preparing to commence. Dozens of trucks with turrets mounted on top and assault vehicles were lined up outside of the headquarters, ready to carry the military forces and artillery to the nearby country.

"They're not pullin' any punches," Kiros commented.

"You three! Get into a truck now!" a familiar voice barked from behind. They turned around to see that it was Lancera. "Did I stutter, men?! I said now!"

The trio followed the rest of the soldiers and loaded into a truck. Shortly afterwards, when everything was ready, they drove off, carrying the men toward their destination. All of the soldiers were cramped closely together, leaving little room to maneuver. It particularly aggravated enormous men like Ward, who was constantly squirming in his seat to give himself some more space. He sat between Laguna and Kiros, and bumped them into surrounding soldiers with his consistent movements.

"Ouch! Cut it out, Ward!" his clumsy comrade moaned after receiving an elbow to the jaw.

"Sorry, guys," he apologized. "I can't stand the lack of space."

"Are you chlorophobic or somethin'?"

"Huh?"

"I think he means 'claustrophobic,'" Kiros corrected.

"Oh, not at all. It's just a tight fit in here."

"Well, how do you think we feel sitting next to you?"

"Yeah, you keep squishing us!"

"Anyway, didn't you guys find it weird that Lancera didn't recognize us?" Ward asked, changing the subject.

"Yeah, it did seem kinda strange," Laguna concurred.

"I hope he did. That guy wanted to ruin us," Kiros said.

The journey to Timber was long, and felt like an eternity to the Galbadian soldiers who would smash into each other every time the vehicle encountered a rough spot. They already had bruises from hitting themselves before the fighting had even begun. When the trucks suddenly came to a halt, they all slid forward, getting squashed by the ones around them. The soldiers emitted a loud, collective groan. The back was opened and they began filing out, each clutching tender wounds inflicted by the ride.

"Now what?" Laguna asked curiously.

The actual country was surrounded by lush forests, making an excursion into the midst of it difficult without the high risk of being ambushed by enemies that were bound to be lurking within. Being in large groups would make them even more susceptible to a massacre. Timber had a definite advantage if Galbadia tried a tactic like that.

"We wait, I guess," Kiros replied.

Galbadian soldiers began getting into assault vehicles and mounting the turrets that sat on top of the trucks. Several others began unloaded crates of explosive devices and then proceeded to get into position. Some stood on top of the vehicles with the gunners, while others remained on the ground. Laguna, Kiros, and Ward stood by silently as they prepared their assault.

"On my mark!" the commanding officer ordered. "Ready…Aim…Fire!!!!"

They began opening fire and launching explosives into the woods of Timber. As they detonated, trees were set ablaze and the inferno quickly engulfed their leaves. Cinders flew off from some and landed on others, causing them to burst into flames as well. The gigantic trees snapped at the truck and fell, colliding with others. They toppled the surrounding foliage as well, causing a domino effect. They creaked loudly as they began to drop and shook the ground violently as they landed simultaneously. Laguna watched wide-eyed as the clash with Timber was signified by the sound of trees falling.


	11. Not So Friendly Creatures

Chapter 11- Not So Friendly Creatures 

Once Galbadia's initial bombardment was completed, the commanding officers gave the order to charge into the inner depths of the forest. The soldiers immediately responded and moved into the demolished portion of the woods, except for Laguna, Kiros, and Ward. The other two were prepared to follow until they realized that their clumsy comrade was petrified with fear, as if he had been traumatized. He stood still, visibly shaken by what had just transpired.

"C'mon, Laguna! We gotta get goin'!" Ward urged.

"I-I can't…"

"You have to! It's our duty! I don't like it any more than you do, but orders are orders."

"He's right, man," Kiros agreed. "I know you're scared. It's only natural in a situation like this, but you can do this."

"But I don't want to," the man with the machine gun said.

"Me neither, but it's our job to defend Galbadia, right or wrong. Listen, we all know this so-called war won't last long. Even Timber knows it. The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can go back to Deling City. You'll get to see Julia again," the black man said, knowing it would motivate him.

"You're right," Laguna said with a nod. Then he raised his weapon high into the air. "Let's do this!"

His eyes scanned the surrounding areas, spotting small fires still burning the bare, scorched trees. However, there was no sign of the rest of the army. "Uh…Which way did they go?"

Kiros and Ward placed their hands on their foreheads and shook their heads simultaneously. "Don't tell me we lost them," the bulky soldier remarked.

They all remained silent briefly. Then the Winhill native looked at Laguna expectantly. "Now what?"

"How should I know?!" he shot back. "I didn't even see them leave!"

"Well, you're the leader here. We'll go wherever you go," the witty soldier stated. "As unfortunate as that is for us."

"Shut up!" 

Kiros grinned slyly while Ward chuckled.

"Let's go!" Laguna ordered and they dashed into the forests of Timber.

They followed the path of destroyed and desolate trees and wildlife, hoping that it would be an indicator of which direction the rest of the troops went. Occasionally, they passed fallen Timber soldiers, dressed in dark brown in an attempt to blend in with their surroundings, but to no avail. The tall grass had given way to the fires, dropping to the ground and clearing new paths. Various remains of trees had fallen down, and the trio walked around them. It began to drizzle, but they hardly felt any of the soft raindrops hitting them.

As they proceeded deeper, they came across a large group of various animals—Funguars, Geezards, Wendigos, Cockatrices, Anacondaurs—enraged by the fact that their home was being destroyed. As soon as they spotted the three Galbadian soldiers, they stampeded together toward them. Their eyes widened in fear as they watched them rushing toward them.

"I suggest we run," Kiros said. 

"Good idea," Ward agreed.

Then they ran as fast as they could in the opposite direction, with the deadly forest predators in pursuit of them. Laguna kept looking back at them, seeing that they were gradually closing in on them. They were becoming fatigued, while the monsters showed no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

"Where's a tree to climb when you need one?!" he exclaimed between breaths.

"You know, we can't run from them forever. They'll eventually catch us," the Winhill native said.

"Well, do you wanna fight them?" the thin soldier questioned.

"You can't be serious! There's way too many of them!" the man with the machine gun protested incredulously.

"Better now than later when we're too exhausted to defend ourselves."

"I guess you have a point…" Laguna reluctantly admitted. Then he started slowing down his pace. "Well, what're we runnin' for?! Let's get them monsters!"

They stopped completely and turned around to face the beasts, still breathing heavily. Laguna pulled out his machine gun and aimed it at the stampede. Then he pulled in and held the trigger in place, unleashing rounds of bullets on the predators. However, damage was minimal to them, and they were still approaching rapidly.

"It's not working! What do we do?!" Ward asked in desperation.

"Jump!" Kiros yelled.

They dove aside at the last possible moment and landed in ashes caused by the burning wood as the pack passed by harmlessly without noticing at first that their victims were out of the way. The minute particles of dust sprayed all over the three Galbadian soldiers, covering their bodies in soot and turning them black. They began coughing uncontrollably as they stood up and began wiping the ash from their bodies. Their eyes began to fill up with water and their vision became blurred. They were unaware that the creatures had turned around and were heading their way again.

"Whew…That was close," Ward said.

By the time their sight had cleared, it was too late to do anything. The pack was too close for them to maneuver out of the way, and the monsters collided with the trio. They were knocked off of their feet and dragged for a few moments before they slid through the vicious herd and hit the ground roughly. The momentum caused them to starting rolling. They covered their heads to avoid having an animal step on them. The Galbadian soldiers were badly bruised and battered, barely able to move and bleeding from cuts sustained during the stampede.

The wild beasts stopped and returned to their prey and attacked them. An Anacondaur rose over Laguna and prepared to bite him. However, as the mouth drew near and opened wider, he put his machine gun inside and mercilessly pulled the trigger. Its head was literally blown to pieces as its scaled body fell on top of him.  
"AH! Get it off! Get it off!" he screamed, squirming around, trying to get away from it. Once he had forced it off, he quickly returned to his feet. "Yuck…That was disgusting!"

A Cockatrice was trying to bury its sharp, clawed feet into the chest of Kiros, but he continually raised his Katal to block it. He tried to stab the foot as it came for him again, but the large bird wasn't affected by it. As he held it in place, the thin soldier rose up the other blade and pierced its leg, causing it to shrilly squawk in pain. Kiros was able to slide out of its way and speedily returned to his feet. Then he decapitated it with an "X" motion with the weapons that were attached to his wrists.

Ward was surrounded by Geezards. They were frustrating him immensely. They weren't overly powerful, but he couldn't manage to attack one because another would swipe at him. Then he was forced to deal with that one, and then another one of the small monsters would take their turn. After long enough, the bulky soldier couldn't stand it anymore.

"That's it!" He planted his harpoon into the ground, and then used it to catapult himself high into the air, bringing the weapon up with him. At the peak of his jump, he cried out "Massive Anchor!" and then began to descend back toward them at a high velocity, with his feet on top of the harpoon for added pressure. Ward slammed into one Geezard and impaled him. Then the powerful shockwave resulting from the ferocious attack sent the rest flying into the air. They each bounced a couple more times, and then ceased to move.

Kiros was confronting a Wendigo and Funguar. The mushroom-like creature shot a sleeping gas at him, which he effortlessly sidestepped. Then he disposed of the fungus with a couple of slices from his Katal. As the Funguar was withering up and dying, the other muscular monster pounded him on top of the head with its fists. The thin soldier dropped to one knee and clutched his head as he began to feel dizzy. He shook it off and returned to unfinished business.

"You asked for it," Kiros said with a smirk. "Blood Pain!"

At a blinding speed, he turned around and began ruthlessly slashing the Wendigo, who was too slow to defend such a furious onslaught. With each incision made by his sharp blades, a bright red flash of light was emitted. Once it was completed, the brute monster dropped to its knees, and then fell on its face with a grunt.

As Laguna fired at the remaining beasts, he backed into a tree that was somehow still standing. Then he looked up to see a branch hanging slightly above him.

"Hey! I've got an idea!" he exclaimed. "Kiros! Ward! Get outta the way!"

They did as they were told while the clumsy soldier pulled out a grenade from his pocket.

"Uh oh…What's he gonna do?" Ward wondered.

He yanked the pin off and tossed it into the midst of the monsters. "Desperado!" Laguna leaped up and grabbed the branch with one head, still clutching his machine gun with the other. He began shooting, trying to hit the explosive, always missing, but hitting the beasts instead.

_(Darn it! I need to work on my aim.)_

Finally, the grenade exploded, wiping out what remained of their attackers.  Laguna dropped down, put his gun away, and dusted his hands off cockily. "That's how ya do it!"

"Good job, Laguna! But where'd you get the grenade?" Kiros asked curiously.

"Oh, I snuck one out of our cargo. Figured it might come in handy. Am I brilliant or what?" He placed his hands on his hips and laughed heartily, while his two comrades rolled their eyes.

"Anyway, we need to find our guys. The sun's almost down," Ward said.

"Let's go then."

They navigated their way through the forest cautiously, and eventually found where Galbadia had set up camp for the night.

"Hey! Where have you three been?!" one of the officers shouted angrily. They exchanged glances, but remained silent. Then the soldier shrugged. "Oh well. Doesn't matter. Better get some sleep 'cause we're raidin' the town tomorrow."

The Galbadian soldiers did as they were told and went to sleep.


End file.
